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Between Two Shepherds
TELL 1 me, thou skilful shepherd swain, | |
| Who’s yonder in the valley set? | |
| O, it is she, whose sweets do stain | |
| The lily, rose, the violet! | |
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| Why doth the sun against his kind | 5 |
| Stay his bright chariot in the skies? | |
| He pauseth, almost stricken blind | |
| With gazing on her heavenly eyes. | |
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| Why do thy flocks forbear their food, | |
| Which sometime was their chief delight? | 10 |
| Because they need no other good | |
| That live in presence of her sight. | |
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| How come these flowers to flourish still, | |
| Not with’ring with sharp Winter’s breath? | |
| She hath robb’d Nature of her skill, | 15 |
| And comforts all things with her breath. | |
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| Why slide these brooks so slow away, | |
| As swift as the wild roe that were? | |
| O, muse not, shepherd, that they stay, | |
| When they her heavenly voice do hear. | 20 |
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| From whence come all these goodly swains, | |
| And lovely girls attired in green? | |
| From gathering garlands on the plains | |
| To crown our fair the Shepherds’ Queen. | |
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| The sun that lights this world below, | 25 |
| Flocks, flowers, and brooks will witness bear; | |
| These nymphs and shepherds all do know | |
| That it is she is only fair. | |
